Top 10 Leadership Quotes by Bill Gates

In this article, we’ll analyze ten inspiring quotes about leadership by Bill Gates and what we can learn from them.

Bill Gates is an exceptional leader with exceptional leadership qualities and traits. So there’s a lot to learn here.

Let’s dive right in.

• As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others.
• Microsoft is not about greed. It’s about innovation and fairness.
• Everyone needs a coach. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a basketball player, a tennis player, a gymnast or a bridge player.
• I never took a day off in my twenties. Not one. And I’m still fanatical, but now I’m a little less fanatical.
• I’m never fully satisfied with any Microsoft product.
• If I’d had some set idea of a finish line, don’t you think I would have crossed it years ago?
• I am results-oriented.
• I do the dishes every night - other people volunteer, but I like the way I do it.
• I was a kind of hyper-intense person in my twenties and very impatient.
• To win big, you sometimes have to take big risks.

As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others.

Bill Gates is a leader who certainly believes in empowering others. He believes that great leaders should trust and hand power and authority to others to do something.

A recent scientific meta-analysis shows that empowering leadership can effectively influence employee creativity and citizenship.

Leaders who empower others are also more likely to be trusted by their subordinates.

Microsoft is not about greed. It’s about innovation and fairness.

Bill Gates is someone who has given away a large portion of his wealth. And he also claims that Microsoft is not about greed.

Instead, he emphasizes innovation and fairness.

The world is constantly changing, and therefore, any company that wants to survive must foster innovation.

On the other hand, fairness is a key element when it comes to employee satisfaction. It is essential when building a strong, lasting team.

In a way, it means that fairness and innovation go hand in hand.

Everyone needs a coach. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a basketball player, a tennis player, a gymnast or a bridge player.

Nobody is perfect. There is always room for improvement. And a coach is an excellent opportunity to become better.

In fact, this is one key element that distinguishes a good leader from a bad leader. A good leader accepts that he could be better and sees it as a chance. A bad leader tends to hide the fact that he is not perfect.

I never took a day off in my twenties. Not one. And I’m still fanatical, but now I’m a little less fanatical.

Bill Gates has a strong drive to accomplish things. In fact, this is a pattern we see among many highly successful leaders like Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, and others.

We’ve all heard the success stories. These are the results.

But great success often means a lot of work. What many people miss are the countless hours of hard work that are behind all that success.

I’m never fully satisfied with any Microsoft product.

There’s always room for improvement. You can always work on yourself, your company structures, or your products.

In fact, complacency and arrogance are two traits that can easily prevent someone from succeeding.

If I’d had some set idea of a finish line, don’t you think I would have crossed it years ago?

The meaning of this quote is very similar to the one above. Where the quote above talks directly about Microsoft products, this one talks about his personal finish line.

Again, this is a trait we see in many highly successful people. They can’t rest. They have this invisible force that pushes them further and further.

I am results-oriented.

Bill Gates says that he is results-oriented. It means that he focuses on the outcome rather than the process used to produce a product or deliver a service.

Some leaders love to dig into the processes of a large company and optimize them. However, at the end of the day, what really counts is the outcome.

I do the dishes every night - other people volunteer, but I like the way I do it.

In 1987, Bill Gates was named the youngest billionaire in the world. And he still does the dishes every night.

Bill Gates is a humble leader. Being humble allows him to be more persuasive.

But more importantly, humble leaders separate themselves from their success. As a result, they don’t take it personally when they receive criticism. Instead, they see it as an opportunity.

I was a kind of hyper-intense person in my twenties and very impatient.

Impatience is not exactly a trait of great leaders. But many highly accomplished people are very impatient.

They have their goals in mind and do whatever it takes to accomplish them. Time works against them.

In a way, impatience is a symptom of pursuing high goals.

To win big, you sometimes have to take big risks.

Playing it safe feels comfortable. And this is what many people do.

Very successful people are often willing to take big risks.

Take Elon Musk, for instance.

As a result of taking huge risks, he was broke in 2008. And that after making $180 million from selling his share in PayPal to eBay. And he is not alone.

As Andrew Carnegie said: “The way to become rich is to put all your eggs in one basket and then watch that basket.”

Sometimes that’s the risk you have to take.